Epic: External and Internal Wars
by SupeyNinjaZora19
Summary: As Ronin laid on the cold ground, feeling his life slip away from him slowly, he looked up to see a face. "Tara?" He whispered, growing weaker with each passing second. Was he growing colder, closer to death? All well, it would be better now, as long as he was with his beloved Queen, protecting her even in death and the afterlife. (Takes place after he stays to save MK and Nod.)


**Disclaimer: Let's see...I own a few stories and ideas, but it seems that Epic isn't on there...hmm...So I suppose that I don't own Epic!**

**Summary:** As Ronin laid on the cold ground, feeling his life slip away from him slowly, he looked up to see a face. "Tara?" He whispered, growing weaker with each passing second. Was he growing colder, closer to death? All well, it would be better now, as long as he was with his beloved Queen, protecting her even in death and the afterlife. (Taken place after he stays behind to save MK and Nod.)

**Warning:** Just giving you all a heads up, there may be a few spoilers in case you haven't seen the movie yet. You've been warned!

UPDATE: Thank you to Random Fangirl! I fixed up the part, thank you!

* * *

Epic

"Go on without me! Protect the Pod and go!" General Ronin shouted to Nod and M.K. as he pulled out his sword, slicing a Boggan to his right and kicked another to his left.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Nod shouted at the older man, taking a step forwards to help the General, but the shout stopped him in taking a leap towards him.

"Now you sound like a real Leafman," Ronin smirked before he had to duck in order to stop his head from getting cut off, "Get going! Get the Pod to Moonhaven, keep it safe, Go!"

Giving Nod a harsh glare, the boy flinched but had a deep look of confusion in his eyes whether or not to help or leave.

A tug on his arm jolted him into making the decision to leave as he remembered M.K. They have to get the Pod to Moonhaven so it could bloom.

Ronin felt a small smirk creep onto his face before he had to slice a few more Boggans away with his sword expertly, but overall, he was out numbered and taken down.

He struggled to get out of their grip and shouted at Nod, who had turned around once more, to leave.

The last thing Ronin saw was Nod's pale face as he left, and the Boggans continued their attack on him.

It felt weird to him, being attacked like this, dog piled, usually he wasn't this weakened or anything, but he had to make a diversion for M.K. and Nod.

Even if it meant his life.

He grit his teeth as their claws dug into his flesh, tearing his skin and causing blood to spill. They dog piled on him, pinning him to the floor as he tried to pull himself away, but his strength was slowly slipping away.

Ronin refused to let out a shout of agony, even a grunt of pain; he wouldn't give the Boggans or Mandrake the pleasure of knowing they were causing their enemy pain.

"Well Ronin, I never thought that I would take you down this easily. Thought you would've put up a fight." Glaring up at Mandrake, his sapphire eyes narrowed in defiance.

"Actually I did fight. You stood there and did nothing while I took out about half of your fleet right there." A punch to the gut was delivered to Ronin that knocked the wind out of him, but overall, it didn't faze him.

A week in the Academy to become a Leafmen was a living nightmare, that right there was nothing.

"Please, you think _this_ was all I had to fight? I'm hurt Ronin, that wasn't even one fourth of my army." Ronin's eyes widened slightly, and looked over to the side of the dead trees and saw a wave of Boggans rushing towards him.

_'We're outnumbered…the Pod better bloom…or else we're doomed…' _Ronin cursed in his mind before getting smacked-literally-into reality.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Mandrake screeched, a punch sent Ronin to the ground, clutching his stomach. Though he may have had armor on, it still hurt to get punched with a fist that had thorns on them.

"Maybe this will get your attention…Maybe decapitating that boy of yours…what was his name? Nod? Maybe that will be more fun…after all, we destroyed your best friend, also his father, and plus, we killed your love, Tara…all because you were weak. Maybe destroying him will finally break you."

Ronin's eyes burned with a burning fire of rage, anger completely consuming him.

How dare he!? Bring up Nod's father, his best friend, and Tara!? He'd admit that it was his fault, he wasn't strong enough…but the way he said it…

Gripping his sword tightly, he let out a war-like cry and charged forward, swinging his sword expertly but more wildly then he had hoped.

The two engaged combat, at a few times Ronin would have to swipe a Boggan from interfering but most of the time it was just Mandrake and him.

"What? Hit a nerve?" Mandrake chuckled, twirling his staff before they fought again. Turning around to slash a Boggan, another from behind put him in a full Nelson before lifting him up and slamming him on the floor.

He flailed his arms, trying to get out, but his limbs were quickly bonded and held, no way of escape.

_'Great…see what happened when you fight out in plain rage? Not good Ronin…it never ends well…'_

He watched as Mandrake raised his staff, smile as some words came out of his mouth, and Ronin let out a short shout of pain before his world faded off into a cold darkness.

* * *

Ronin opened his eyes with a groan. What had happened? Why was he in so much pain? That was the only thing he felt, he didn't even feel his limbs; it was like he was drowning in a world of pain and sorrows.

As he tried to get up, he fell back onto his back with a gasp of pain. Was Moonhaven in trouble? Was there a fight? Did he get wounded?

Groaning again in pain, he looked at his body and noticed the many wounds scathing. Scattered all over his body were wounds not too deep, but enough to draw out enough blood to leave him feeling woozy and sleepy.

_'Don't fall asleep,'_ he mentally slapped himself, _'you'd die if you were to doze off…help will come soon…'_

It was then he realized, no help was coming. He had sacrificed himself for Nod and Mk, he was good as dead as he realized that he was in front of Mandrake's Lair, more and more Boggans stomping past him, or even on him, to get to the Moonhaven grounds.

A feeling a dread over came him. So this is how he was to end? Lying on the floor, useless? He deserved to die then. He failed his job protecting his beloved Queen. Death was all he should get. It was weird, it never imagined himself to die like this, he always thought he'd die either protecting his Queen, or just falling off of his bird on first flight

As Ronin laid on the cold ground, feeling his life slip away from him slowly, he looked up to see a face.

"Tara?" He whispered, growing weaker with each second passing by.

The sun made Tara's face glow brightly with a Heavenly gleam that made him relax. She smiled lightly at him and reached out, stroking his cheek.

Ronin leaned into her touch, eyes closed. Why did she feel so warm? Was he growing colder, closer to death? All well, it would be better now, as long as he was with his Queen, protecting her even in death and the afterlife.

"It's not your time yet, Ronin." Her beautiful, goddess like voice shocked him out of his trance, and looked at her with questioning blue orbs, full of confusion and wonder. "You have so much left to do here, you can't just leave just yet."

Ronin looked at his queen, heartbroken. So, he couldn't go up there with her? He wanted to…he missed her.

A groaned escaped his mouth, he wanted to tell her! How much he cared! He had to! A whine of pain came out this time, close, but not close enough! Talk Ronin! Dammit talk! Tell her how you feel already! Tell her how you were an idiot about waiting, waiting for that moment where you would tell her!

Guess what Ronin?! It never came! That's what you get for waiting! Believing you had time, where in reality; time won't wait for anything, especially love.

**(A/N: Oh shell man…sorry about that…it's true…admit it everyone, he should've admitted it…)**

A hand that rested on his face made him look into Tara's brown, glowing eyes. Oh how he missed the way they held such knowingness, such kindness, such beauty in the orbs that he missed staring into.

"It's okay, I understand Ronin. I honestly do." Those were the last things Ronin heard, before she slowly started disintegrating into golden dust.

He tried speaking, but nothing came out except a strangled cry of angst. He reached out for her, gripping her hand in his as she slowly disappeared. He stared into her eyes, his slowly filling with tears that she wiped away with her gentle, disintegrating hand.

"So serious, always so serious…" That was it. Ronin fell to the floor, clutching the grass in his fists.

No! Why didn't he…why…he was…it was THEIR fault!

Pure rage powered Ronin as he forced himself to his feet. It was them! The Boggans! Dalga! Mandrake! It was all because of them…it was all because of them that his love was gone!

If they had never interfered, no…if her had been stronger to protect her, if he hadn't had waited…maybe things would've been different…

Growling, a look of murdered glowed in his sapphire Jews of his, and pulled his sword out of a dead tree. Just seeing that tree reminded him of what was happening:

The forest was dying.

And who kept the forest FROM dying?

Queen Tara.

And where was she?

She was in Heaven, DEAD!

"Hey! Y-you ugly Bo-Boggans!" Ronin screeched, though his voice sounded as is his throat went through a shredder. Not that tough sounding, but hey, it got their attention.

"Before you go over to Moonhaven," He grinned wickedly, bringing his sword up to his face, "You have to deal with _ME_ first." Once again, not that threatening as he thought it would sound, but he didn't have to worry as he dodged a few attacks.

He lunged forward, letting out a short war like cry.

Memories of Tara flew through his mind, a few from when they were children, how she had once forced him to play in the river, to ride his first bird, to help dress his wounds, from once when he was bedridden and she was to take care of him (though he didn't want to, fearing she would get sick too), then the guilt-tearing memory of when he was holding her growing cold body. How limp she felt, how…lifeless… it had been the first time he had ever seen her so…motionless…

Ronin's face darkened, more memories filling his mind, eyes narrowed, teeth gritted, and his nuckles turned white from grasping his sword too tightly as he took out many more Boggans with the single swipe of his sword.

He may have felt slashed and pain, but no physical pain would relate to the emotional pain he was feeling in his heart.

A few Boggans got a few good hits in, a few low blows too he might add, and one good one was to his left eye. He was lucky though. Had it been the claw, he would've lost his eye.

Fighting with one eye wasn't so hard. He actually liked it. It made fighting these noobs more of a challenge.

Slashing one Boggan across the chest, he used that as a takeoff pad and used it to jump over one behind him, stab it in the back, and reverse his sword to stab another in the side.

Whirling around, he smoothly pulled out his sword from the body of a Boggan and turned around to stab another, only for his sword to get swiped away from him.

Growling, his eyes narrowed as he then changed over to hand-to-hand combat, luckily, he had trained in this type of thing to.

Taking out a few Boggans with his fists was slightly harder, it took much longer too, but it got the job done.

Turning around, he had to hold back a small chuckle as he saw a Boggan try to imitate his fighting style.

Smirking, he taunted the Boggan, and his rushed forward, swinging the sword wildly, obviously showing no sign of knowing how to use it.

"Aww, so close, try it once more, but try not to miss." Oh, how Ronin was enjoying this! As the Boggan charged, he kicked it in its rear, getting it ticked off. "Close, try _one_ more time."

As it charged, it faked a right and swiped at Ronin with his claw, cutting his left cheek.

Narrowing his eyes, the general decided that the fun and games were over, and twisted the Boggan's wrist backwards, effectually breaking it and getting his sword back.

Slicing it's neck, Ronin pulled his sword out, letting out a scream of pain and anger, but mainly, a shout of sadness and loss.

The man fell to his knees, punching the ground before looking around at the manipulated bodies lying on the ground, the blood, and the dead eyes that were staring at the world in front of them, but were not processing what they were seeing.

Ronin laid on the floor, struggling to catch his breath. Had he just taken out an entire fleet, no, battalion of Boggans? Yeah he did!

Looking off into the sky, he saw the bright moon, how pure, how precious it looked. It reminded him of his Queen, how bright she always was, she was never down, always looking at the right side of things, but, as he knew, the moon had a dark side.

"Ronin…" That voice…Tara… He looked up into the bright light, smiling weakly as his eyes closed slowly. "No no, it's not your time yet Ronin. You still have work to do." A slight pout spread across his face, very unlike him, but he bought himself up to his knees.

"Yes…my Queen…" He had to follow her, take every command serious; after all, he was still taking orders from her.

Struggling to his feet, he held back a cry of pain and limped towards the edge of the building and fell off.

What, you think he's dumb? Think again!

Putting his finger to his mouth, he let out a sharp and loud whistle, calling his hummingbird, which was sitting obediently on a branch and flew to his aid.

When he landed on it, he buried his face in the smooth, soft fur of his bird, calming down his feelings deep down inside.

"M-Moonhaven….now….h-hurry…" He muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open any second longer.

When he noticed his surroundings grow darker, he rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was just going to pass out, but then looked around wildly after he noticed it was just him.

The general's eyes widened as he saw the moon: bat's were trying to block out the moon's bright light.

Tara's bright, pure light.

Ronin cursed under his breath before telling his bird to fly faster.

_'If that Pod is born in darkness…we're done for…Moonhaven…the forest…the world…' Ronin_ blinked wildly, desperately trying to keep his eyes open, _'don't worry my Queen…I'm coming…'_

* * *

So, what did you all think? Sorry if it's a bit OOC, but to me, it's kinda hard writing a story or fan fiction when you've only seen the movie or show once. Usually, I have to watch it fifty times to write something, but I couldn't help it.

Does anyone else love RoninxTara?! Dude, I think they should've just admitted it! Ronin's just adorable in his own way, and Tara's just awesome!

Shout out time to my FanFiction Family, and also, IF YOU GUYS WANT ANOTHER CHAPTER, LET ME KNOW! I HAVE A FEW IDEAS, BUT I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO LEAVE IT LIKE THIS, OR...YEAH...

Thanks and review letting me know please! :D :D


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